Leggings
by D0T
Summary: AU; In the city of New York, crimes are bound to happen at any possible moment. Garu, a modern day ninja;is the top assassin of a secret organization. He doesn't care about justice or anything of the sort, what he wants is blood, action and someone who could give him a real damn challenge. What he doesn't know, is that this particular challenge is a feisty waitress. Oh boy. Garucca
1. Chapter 1

**A pucca story requested by my best friend, I hope you enjoy it.**

 _ **WARNING:**_ **Contains mature content as the story progresses, foul language and gory scenes. If any of those discomfort you, then please... do not read this story.**

Leggings.

Prologue.

It was in days like these that he truly hated his job.

The many stenches that were emitted from their dancing forms, the glowing lights and the loud, ear-wrecking music managed to irritate him completely. Just what was it that they found so appealing in these clubs? Was it the music? _Downloadable._ Was it the alcohol? _Hmph! Affordable._ Was it the search for companionship? _Better places._ The need to talk to someone you know nothing about? _Chatting websites, end of the story._ The girls in tight, short skirts? _Again, internet._ Or... perhaps it was none other than the obscene, completely disgusting rhythmical acts that those barbarians refer to as _dancing?_

Perhaps that would have been believable... Except that if they were so tempted to rub their bodies against each other in such an animalistic fashion; they could've just went ahead to buy themselves a whore for that sole purpose. Why bother coming here, get into trouble and wake up the next morning in bed with a big _mistake?_

The answer was simple; it was all for the sake of getting into trouble, all for the sake of making mistakes and regretting it afterwards. The pleasure was apparently, _so damn good_ that they just couldn't help it. There was no 'why' or 'what' or 'how come?' in whatever they were doing. Just simple idiocy that could make any citizen cringe.

Heaven was going out of business.  
 _  
_He harrumphed and took a sip of his plain bottle of water, amber eyes scanning the room.

 _A bunch of half-assed, dim witted imbeciles._ He thought in mild amusement as he kept looking towards the dance floor. It wasn't like he came here for fun, or to witness any of this. In reality, he did it for his job, his career, his _dream._ And so far so good, he didn't fuss over any of his missions.

In such an environment, where everyone was lost in ecstasy, a drug dealer would be quite able, if not easily; to waltz his way in and out unnoticed, do a little bit of business here and there before leaving with his pockets full of green.

He snorted.

How laughable, that could've happened indeed, except that now... He was there, and no drug deal or whatever the heck those guys do was going to happen in any possible way.

No way... Not on his watch.

And this time, he smiled. Because his prey already appeared on his line of sight; leaning casually on the counter with a glass of whiskey in his hand and car keys on the other. The man looked like he was on his mid thirties, with bleached pink hair and a shit load of piercings on his face. _Johnny Vergas, age 34. An ex truck driver with a lazy attitude. Mostly known for fooling around, sniffing a bit of this and that before going on a massive rampage in a common, friendly house. A drug dealer, murderer, some lowly scum._ He thought bitterly, amber eyes fierce and intense.

He started walking towards his prey, slowly, calmly and steadily. Each step was calculated carefully, walking through the crowd like a mere shadow; his presence unnoticed. Sure enough, there were a few ladies that managed to actually see him. He wasn't exactly invisible, however; every time he gets this _wild_ flow of testosterone and intent to kill, it'd be hard not to.

Wearing a black shirt, black leather jacket, dark jeans and black boots; he looked almost like an actual shadow aside from his amber orbs and pale complexion. He removed a strand of his shoulder length black hair from his face as he approached his target, who still didn't seem to notice him coming.

He removed the small knife he kept hidden under his shirt and hid it carefully within his sleeve, _The job better be clean..._ He remembered.

The next second he was behind him, whispering in his ear; his voice low, manly, and completely dangerous.

"I've been looking for you, Vergas." He grabbed him firmly in place with his free hand, then pointed the knife on his back to make sure he knew _exactly_ what would happen if he didn't obey. "You caused a lot of trouble for me, you know?" He chuckled darkly.

Johnny started trembling madly, eyes wide in terror, "Who the hell are you?!" He asked in his high pitched voice. The assassin pushed the blade to make sure he felt it _better._

"Keep your voice low, we don't want to cause a commotion now do we?" He sighed and tightened his grip on Johnny's arm, "Let's just go somewhere and... Have a friendly chat, yes?"

He didn't seem to comply, "I-I know y-you..." his eyes widened like a fish's, "You're that modern day ninja, right? G-Garu, was it?"

Garu's lips pursed, he didn't utter a word and decided to simply drag him towards his demise instead. Johnny continued talking, regardless.

"L-l-look... I don't wanna' die! I'm just too young, a-and a virgin!" He looked up to search for any possible trace of mercy, but found a stoic; completely heartless mask instead of the compassion he longed to see.

Garu raised an eyebrow, still silently pulling him outside.

"I'll give you money! Lots of cash, just name the price!"

"Money is the least of my worries," he sighed, clearly not in the mood. "You're a scum, I despise scums... So I kill them," he said matter-of-factly.

Johnny looked at him incredulously, "What have I done?" He looked _almost_ innocent.

Almost...

"You kill for the pleasure of killing, you sell your filth in exchange for hard-earned money, you lie like you breathe and you're not exactly honest either." He furrowed his brows dangerously, "Fifty-eight victims, in which twenty-seven men; severely injured and brutally murdered, twenty –three women, raped and killed in atrocious conditions..." his glare intensified into something terrifying, "Eight children... Seven girls and a little boy, who; in their turn were also raped, that is... Before being forced to watch their parents die by your hands."

Johnny peed his pants, looking at him; completely terrorized. He wasn't sure if it was because of the glare, or the blade that was no longer pointing at his back but his throat instead, or if it was because they weren't in the club anymore, but a dark, empty alleyway with an assassin.

"I...I... I won't do it again..." he cried, "Please don't... Don't kill me..." His trembling hand reached for his breast pocket, where he carefully hid his knife. Garu snorted, amber orbs glowing.

"Apologize to your victims in the afterlife, _filth."_

He ended it all by simply slitting his throat in a fast, careful and steady motion.

* * *

 _"How did it go?"_ The raspy voice of his boss asked on the other line of his phone.

"Fine," he replied, looking at the police cars from the top of the building, the wind blowing hard on his black hair.

 _"That's good, no witnesses... I hope?"_

"No, but I didn't really have enough time to dispose the body," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "The police is now investigating on the matter, not like it'll be a problem, but..."

 _"You didn't leave any piece of evidence, did you?"_

"No."

 _"Then there's nothing to worry about, Garu. You did good, I'll be sure to reward you handsomely."_

"I don't need a reward!" He snapped, "I only took in this mission because you said the guy was worth the match!"

 _"And?"_

"Sir..." he sighed, "He peed on his pants and begged for his life thirty seconds after our encounter."

 _"Well..."_ He could picture him rolling his eyes, _"You're not exactly sweet either, Garu."_

"I don't see the use of being _sweet_ to any of those criminals."

 _"Garu, I understand how hard it is for you, however...There isn't much I can offer you, nowadays there aren't many interesting missions, you just have to stick with what you're given."_

Garu's eyes narrowed at the sight of Johnny's body being taken by the emergencies, "I demand a real challenge next time, considering what I've been through in that... _Club."_ He shuddered.

 _"You're being overly dramatic here, that wasn't as traumatizing as you think."_

"I was nearly molested by those heavily perfumed, half naked clowns you people refer to as _women."_

"I'm starting to question your sexuality here, old champ. Any heterosexual male would've been more than glad to be pounced by young girls."

"Back to the subject..." he groaned and shivered at that thought, "Just remember that I'm _not_ one of your lowly assassins, I'm a ninja; a _shinobi_ of the modern day. I live to follow the path of honour. Your justice? I don't give a _fuck_ about any of it. Sure, that guy deserved to die, hell... he deserved more than death, but he wasn't worth it. All I'm asking you, is someone competent, someone who can resist me, who can fight me without feeling numb on the knees whenever he realizes who I am. A challenge, I'm asking you for a challenge."

His boss remained quiet for a good moment, almost as if he was lost in thought. Then spoke slowly, _"I'll see what I can do, in the meantime... Try to rest, we still need you."_

"Fine." He muttered and ended their conversation, half expecting him to call back and add one of those annoying smug remarks, but allowed a relieved sigh to escape his lips when he didn't.

He looked up at the dark sky, the moon and the stars, and allowed himself to breathe calmly.

New York, the city that never sleeps; became his home now. After leaving Tokyo and coming to the states, he expected to live an exciting life, to finally have missions worthy of his strength.

But he found himself facing the exact opposite, and even worse than this... He started to miss Tokyo.

 _Sensei..._ He closed his eyes, remembering his master's kind and gentle face, his white beard and abnormally long braid. _I'll do my best._

Garu opened his eyes slowly, his amber orbs returning to their normal hazel color. He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation at the memory of today, in which he spent those entire 24 hours stalking that Vergas guy in the shadows so he could _finally_ have his had earned showdown past midnight like he planned. He felt completely betrayed after he realized the guy was a wimp. Talk about a major letdown...

"No matter, at least he died for his crimes," he spoke as he began jumping from roof to roof at the speed of sound towards his house.

After five minutes, he found his apartment complex and entered it quietly. He took the mail, removed his jacket and opened his apartment door, where he met his beloved cat; Mio, waiting patiently for him.

"Why hi there, friend." He smiled as he took him in his arms, "How come you're not sleeping?"

"Nyaa..." the cat mewed in adoration for his master, rubbing his small little head on his hard well-built chest. Garu chuckled and caressed him.

"I get it, you're hungry."

The little black fur ball looked at him before resuming in his quest to rub himself all over his master, Garu laughed this time.

"Alright alright, I'll feed you. But please stop the rubbing, I've seen and experienced enough of that."

Mio didn't seem to understand, so he kept rubbing himself all over him. Garu rolled his eyes and took them in the kitchen. He grabbed Mio's cat food and poured its contents on the plate, then placed it gently on the floor for his cat to savour.

Mio rushed towards the food and ate it enthusiastically, Garu smiled and went straight for the living room, where he took the mail and started reading.

 _Junk, Junk, Junk, more Junk, hey, some more Junk!_ He sighed and threw it all on the table, not that he cared; it's just that this complex was the victim of coupons, announcements and anonymous invitations to heaven knows what. He somehow found himself with strip clubs coupons as well, and nearly murdered the mail guy because of that.

 _Prick._

As he looked through the junk mail, he noticed a bright flashy paper with a dragon drawing on it. Curiously, he opened it and found an announcement for some sort of noodle restaurant.

 _Noodles..._ He thought in amusement, his belly grumbling at the idea. _I miss them so..._

He folded the paper and gave himself a mental thought to go check it out soon, when he wasn't in his working hours.

Little did he know that that restaurant wasn't _all_ about noodles.

 **TBC.**

 **Been out for long, sorry. Now I'm back on track!**  
 **Review please.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A big thank you to everyone that reviewed, added to his/her favourites and followed this story! Please keep it up, enjoy this new chapter.**

Leggings.

An unexpected meeting.

The streets of New York were always very crowded, much to his annoyance. There wasn't a single hour, minute or second where he could've found himself alone, breathing in relief. Especially when he was given a particular mission, it was the most annoying thing that he had ever imagined.

Garu never minded people very much, only... What he couldn't take were the many stares he received from both men and women, be it teenage girls or salary men, they all looked, and, well... He didn't appreciate being looked at. He was born and raised to be in the shadows, he intended to keep living within the darkest corners of the world no matter what the cost, for it was his reason for living.

It was still broad daylight, so he had plenty of time before getting rid of his victim. For now, all he had to do was follow him and try to attract the least attention, if possible.

Sadly, it wasn't the case.

"Hey there, handsome." A pretty young woman who was about his age waved, her light brown hair shining under the sun, reflecting a bit of her blonde highlights, "are you alone? Want to hang out with me for a bit?" She had a positively bright smile that could've made any man weak on the knees.

Unfortunately for her, Garu wasn't your typical guy.

He looked at her for merely a second before side-stepping her, muttering a 'sorry I'm busy' while doing so. She turned, pouted, and left quietly. As soon as he made sure she wasn't following, he sighed and scratched his head in mild-annoyance.

 _I really should've worn that black hoodie for today,_ he thought bitterly. It wasn't his fault for being a lady-magnet, in fact, he always cursed his current appearance. Shinobi weren't supposed to be mesmerizing in any way, no... On the contrary, a perfect Shinobi has to be _average_ in terms of looks in order to not attract much attention. Even in terms of smell, washing daily and avoiding perfume was a must, so as to not detect their scent from afar. Shinobi AKA: Ninjas must be _normal, average,_ wherever and whenever, aside from their physical abilities, that is.

Garu wasn't average, he was far more than that. People had always called him 'pretty' when he was young, and he hated it. When puberty kicked in, he was praised as being handsome by many, heck... even by his master. It didn't help the least bit.

Garu was the child of a very famous and beautiful Oiran at a geisha house and somehow, inherited his looks from her. His father, however, was unknown to him. His mother used to talk a lot about him, saying that he inherited those hazel eyes from 'that man' and how positively gentlemanly he acted towards her. He remembered the look in her eyes when she spoke, when she complimented him even when he had used her body to his advantages. She kept saying how much she loved his eyes... How much they shone in the night and how they somehow turned into vivid amber when faced with intense situations.

He hated those eyes, because they were the eyes of a man who hurt his mother.

When he thought back about it, he realized that his mother truly loved his father; she even planned on eloping with him (shockingly) enough. Of course, that man was only after her prowess in bed, and nothing else. Perhaps she didn't expect much, because even though she'd been caught trying to escape, she never struggled.

It made his head hurt, just thinking about it.

"I'll never be good at dealing with emotions..." He muttered to himself while keeping track of his target. This time, instead of being a middle-aged man, he was asked to follow and murder a 27 year-old man named Charlie Johnson, who apparently; got involved with an rather eerie organization. Garu didn't really understand why he was told to kill him, all he ever did was deliver messages and hack a few bank accounts, but he didn't _kill._ He didn't kill... and he didn't rape, or make anyone's lives miserable, but orders were orders, and he had to follow them.

Garu kept on following Charlie while keeping a steady pace, so far it has already been thirty minutes since he started his mission and the guy still didn't stop anywhere. He wasn't complaining, but he was still very curious to where he'd go.

He continued walking and following him until he entered some sort of Asian restaurant, making Garu's eyebrows twitch. Upon further inspection, he noticed that it was the same noodle restaurant he thought about visiting soon.

"What a pleasant coincidence," he rolled his eyes and followed suit, entering the restaurant. It was actually perfect timing, considering he was getting quite hungry. Shinobi weren't allowed to eat much in the mornings, or afternoons for that matter... It was important to remain light on one's feet, no matter the situation.

Garu thought he'd eat a quick bowl of ramen if Charlie decided to eat as well. He didn't want to appear suspicious, especially in a restaurant.

The moment he stepped within the building did the delicious smell of ramen tickle his nose, tempting his rather empty stomach. Garu sniffed the air and closed his eyes in a moment of a bliss, _when was the last time I smelled noodles?_

He shook his head and tried to focus again, eying all the tables before finally noticing Charlie. He wrinkled his nose and decided to sit a good few tables away from him, close enough for him to spy, and far enough for him to avoid suspicion.

So far so good.

Garu stood still and looked around calmly. It was true, the restaurant smelled really nice and it appeared quite new. It wasn't exactly fancy, but it had a certain Asian charm that he missed very much. Being Japanese himself, Garu still couldn't help but miss his country and customs, including its mouth-watering food.

The young ninja eyed his prey calmly, both hands perfectly still on the table. Charlie appeared to have took out his phone, he was most likely texting somebody.

 _Hmm, that's not odd but..._

He waited and apparently he received a reply, he started looking around carefully before writing again. Garu rose an eyebrow in mild suspicion.

 _Is he waiting for somebody?_

A few seconds passed and while he was still very clearly looking at his prey did something dark and shiny block his view.

Garu twitched.

 _Long legs and... Leggings..._

It took him a few seconds to clearly understand what he was actually staring at before understanding that it was none other than the restaurant's waitress. Slowly, he ran a hand through his shoulder-length black hair. _That was careless of me,_ he thought. Perhaps it was because of her sudden appearance? He didn't know.

Though he could only see her back, he already knew that she was young and possibly Asian as well. He had walked through the streets of New York for a while and never had he seen a single individual with hair as dark as his. Sure, he managed to figure out that some people liked to dye their hair black, but it was never naturally black. Sometimes, he found people with really dark brown hair, but they weren't exactly close to his own.

There was that, and there was her skin. It was pale, pale like ivory. Just a glimpse of her hand and he already could tell. Her fingers were long and thin, much like his.

 _But mine must be rugged after all those assassinations... Hers must be soft,_ he thought.

She handed him over the menu and he thanked her, then, she turned around and Garu looked at her as if he had never seen a girl like that before.

A small, round nose. Long jet black hair, skin like ivory, thick lips and a small mouth. Eyes the color of chocolate and rosy cheeks.

Garu had possibly never found a woman attractive before, sure, he had found some and thought them 'pretty', but the feeling he felt on his chest wasn't just a physical analysis of that young girl.

He found her to be _exactly_ his type.

A second later, they made eye-contact. Garu, not being one to be intimidated or embarrassed, held her gaze with his own. He didn't know how or why, but he already felt the intensity rise within his body, he could already tell that his hazel eyes were turning into a rich amber by now.

And it wasn't normal.

He saw her eyes widen, as if genuinely surprised before smiling and making her way towards him. Her walk was somehow childish, but still refined, and as she drew near, he could tell that she was taller than average women, possibly 5'8 feet tall. No wonder he was captivated by her legs.

She suddenly appeared right in front of him and Garu couldn't help but continue staring, her smile was still illuminating her features and her eyes were still brown and gentle.

She spoke, and Garu strained to hear her voice.

"Welcome," she whispered as she handed him over the menu. Garu took it and thanked her, still not averting his eyes away. Her smile widened and she tilted the head to the side before walking away.

That was odd.

 _Why did she whisper? And why was she wearing a dress with such a high collar? Isn't it a bit too hot for that?_ He thought quietly as he analyzed the menu's contents. So far it truly was a noodle restaurant, with lots of varieties of noodles. Garu licked his lips and turned the menu, still noodles, but they did make other dishes like soup or spring rolls.

 _Well, ramen it is, then._ He decided and closed the menu. He then looked at Charlie's table expectantly, said man was looking at his watch over and over and looking at his phone continuously.

 _He's definitely waiting for someone._

The waitress then came into his line of sight and possibly asked him if he was ready to order. He saw Charlie approach her, giving her the ear as if saying that he couldn't hear her. She repeated herself and he shook his head, waving at the door, sign that he was truly not expecting to eat alone. The dark-haired waitress nodded then turned around, immediately locking eyes with Garu again.

With his fist on his chin and fingers tapping on the table, Garu waited calmly for her to come. She did. She smiled, his lips curved slightly.

"Shall I take your order?" She whispered again. Garu thanked the skies that Shinobi had sensitive hearing, otherwise it would've been difficult to understand her.

"I'd like some ordinary ramen, if possible, and a simple bottle of water." He answered as he handed her over the menu. She took it and their fingertips slightly touched, the sudden contact surprised him, but he didn't flinch.

It probably happened to her often, because she didn't move as well. Instead, she smiled again, "Right away, sir." And left.

Garu waited for a moment and took the opportunity to look at Charlie some more. This time he was tapping furiously on his phone. At first, Garu thought he was texting like a mad-man until the reflection on Charlie's glasses gave him away.

"What the... He's playing a game," He muttered to himself and sighed. Charlie really wasn't worth it, nobody was worth it nowadays, and he silently wished for someone who could be a challenge, who could put him on edge.

Minutes passed, and before Garu couldn't even take a whiff of his noodles did a familiar man enter the restaurant.

Garu cursed.

"Fuck, it's him."

 **TBC.**

Please review! I'll try to update soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Jesus, SO sorry for being late with this story! I'll try my hardest to make it worth it this time. A huuuge thank you to every reader out there! Please continue supporting me!**

Leggings.

Garu cursed almost immediately when he saw that familiar scarred face emerge from the door. He ran a hand through his hair and looked frantically around for ANYTHING that could shadow him from the enemy's gaze. Finding none, Garu settled by quickly lowering himself down... Under the table.

 _Yes, going under the table like a lunatic... Real smart, Garu._ He thought bitterly. However, considering he just avoided a potential deadly fight that might harm others, he wasn't going to dwell on that small embarrassing detail any longer.

He would never want to involve innocent people into his private matters.

All the while remaining hidden, Garu made sure to keep a close eye on Tobe, his arch enemy; as he proceeded to walk towards Charlie's table. With half-lidded eyes, the young ninja eased himself and focused all of his senses towards both the individuals in an attempt to hear their conversation. It took more power than intended, for the restaurant wasn't quite noise-free, and yet he managed to hear them... Though barely.

Charlie was the first to talk, "Finally, you came! I was starting to worry that the whole deal got cancelled..." He sighed dramatically and leaned on his chair. Garu rolled his eyes, for it had been nothing but a mere five minutes.

"Hush! You're too loud, you fool!" Tobe hissed as he sat down, "Someone could be hearing our conversation..." Garu frowned at that... Did he sense his presence already?

Before he could even ponder on the thought, the young waitress came towards their table and smiled politely at Tobe, who returned it with a quick grin of appreciation that hid no ill intent, surprisingly. She poured them both a glass of water and handed Tobe the menu before running back to take other customers' orders.

Tobe inhaled deeply and glared at Charlie, "No mistakes, alright? This is a one-time thing, I'm NOT going to ask the lot of you for help after this is over!"

"Geez, _relax!_ " Charlie spoke, trying to ease the tension on Tobe's shoulders. "There's nothing to worry about, the software's here, see?" He pointed at his breast pocket reassuringly and Tobe nodded slightly. "For now, you just enjoy your meal and we'll talk about the serious stuff later on, okay?"

"Alright..." The pony-tailed ninja agreed as he continued looking at the menu. Garu felt extremely curious to know what in the skies they were talking about, for it became now apparent _why_ he had been asked to tag and murder Charlie.

 _So he's working with Tobe? That can't be good..._ He thought as he slowly slid back from under the table, sitting in a way that could obscure him from Tobe's view. While the scarred man's plan truly intrigued him, it was the item in Charlie's possession that managed to stir most interest, though.

Minutes went by, and the waitress came back with his food. She had skilfully managed to carry more bowls than he deemed possible and served him all the while keeping her balance. Garu blinked more than once at her expertise and noticed (only now) of the name tag right above her chest.

 _'Pucca'..._ He read with a quirked eyebrow, _Never heard of such a name... Is she perhaps Chinese? Korean?_ He thought in mild-interest. Usually, people who weren't worth remembering had no names to him, yet for some reason, that particular girl felt like she'd be important later on.

 _I'll probably become a regular..._

The waitress— _Pucca,_ he corrected, whispered a happy 'enjoy your meal!' and left as quickly as she had appeared. Garu silently thanked her and grabbed his chopsticks, divided them into two, and started eating. His eyes widened suddenly as he tasted the ramen, unable to understand how something so simple could be so... _good._

Oh Buddha...

He closed his eyes in pure bliss; _this is what I have longed for since I came in New York..._

The taste felt familiar, yet unbelievably distant as well. A wave of nostalgia engulfed his senses and he forgot for just a small second, the reason why he came there in the first place.

Garu shook his head and started eating at a steady pace; it wasn't the time to savour a meal, sadly. Perhaps by his next visit, things would be different. But now... Heck, he better not finish the bowl or else he'd go slow on his feet.

Throughout the process, the young shinobi made sure to still keep track on Charlie and Tobe's table, in case they talked about something important. He had no luck though, as the only interesting topic they had was about the recent chain of murders within the city... Which, of course, were caused by a certain ninja... Not so far from there.

Garu clicked his tongue in annoyance and quickly finished his meal. Both didn't look like they were about to leave anytime soon, so he decided on writing a report for the time being. His senses dulled with each passing second due to the restaurant's heavy and lively atmosphere. It became nearly impossible to continue spying on the duo, for the endless clatter, noises, and voices emitting from the kitchen and other nearby tables made it a hassle to pursue his mission. The best option would be to wait outside and finish the job in darkness... With or without Tobe.  
Garu looked around for the waitress. He spotted her and lifted a hand for her to see, she did, and she came right away.

"The bill please," he sighed tiredly as he took his wallet. Pucca nodded and dashed off to somewhere, returning a minute later with the requested bill. Garu scanned the contents and shrugged, it wasn't expensive at all, actually... It was a pretty cheap meal, not that he ate much or anything.

He paid it all and made sure to leave some extra money for her. She deserved it; he didn't quite recall ever seeing such a capable waitress before. When he ate outside, waitresses always did poorly on their job. Some of them pointlessly dragged on sorry-excuses of conversations in order to spend more time with him, while others, just... Flirted, or something, he was NEVER sure. The only ones that appeared capable enough were those who looked older, experienced, or taken. Nevertheless, he didn't dwell on that matter and simply carried on, women weren't the least of his worries anyway.

As he walked towards the exit, he was faintly aware of the small voice that whispered 'thank you for coming' behind him.

Minutes turned into hours, and Garu slowly wanted to just barge in and kill both of them.

He had long finished writing his report and sent it through his phone without a trouble. An answer came right away, telling him to continue investigating and to ensure the death of Charlie, and if possible (... Though not obligatory...) Tobe's as well.

... But both individuals hadn't left the restaurant, and it peeved him to no end. He seriously considered the idea of dragging them out of the establishment by force, because no one with a right mind would take _five hours_ to eat in a noodle restaurant.

However, the moment he had that thought in mind, did both men finally emerge from the main door, looking content and full. Garu clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, _they took their sweet time!_ He thought in annoyance as he started following them, making sure to conceal his presence as much as possible.

Tobe was the first who started talking, spurting nonsense about things that didn't concern nor Charlie or Garu. The meddlesome shinobi had the awful habit to utter complete and utter shenanigans whenever he could, and it often got him into trouble. Charlie didn't seem to mind though, and simply shrugged it off by pretending to agree with him. They both continued walking towards narrow alleys, somehow trying to avoid as many people as possible. Garu concluded that they were about to head off to somewhere quiet to continue their serious conversation. It must've been something bloody secret and important for them to walk this long, or this late, for that matter. But who would care? It was his job to follow and kill people, gather information and use it to the organization's benefit. Getting tired was not an option, he had no right to rest.

 _It isn't like my body belongs to me anyways..._ He thought in amusement, _I've sold myself long ago, I'm now the Organization's property... Its 'weapon'..._

Unconsciously, Garu started squeezing his left shoulder, exactly where the tattoo lied. They had claimed him long ago by scarring his flesh and masking it with a dragon tattoo, a symbol that meant he might never be free to do whatever he pleased. For the rest of his life, he'd have to continue killing and serving without a fuss, for it had been the sole reason of his training. His purpose in life: _honour and commitment._

Garu held back his breath and shook his head, it wasn't the time to think about the past, or his situation. He had to focus on his job and make sure that both Charlie and Tobe wouldn't cause any trouble, for the odds of anything dangerous happening were high, considering it involved Tobe of all people.

He saw both men halt immediately near a suspicious building and so he concealed himself in the shadows. Tobe was the first to enter, with Charlie following closely behind. Garu raised an eyebrow at the old, 3 stories tall building. It looked rundown and abandoned... Possibly the perfect place for a hideout.

Garu rolled his shoulders and jumped on a dumpster to grab into a nearby windowsill. He easily lifted his whole body up and looked into the various rooms. It truly _was_ a rundown place; everything appeared to be old and dirty. The mattresses on the ground had cuts and suspicious liquids splattered over them, while the bed sheets could be hardly called 'sheets' anymore, for they were in such an awful state that he doubted anyone could get warmth out of them. As for the furniture... There were far too many cobwebs for him to actually picture someone living there.

He gnawed his inner jaw and tried to sense a presence... None. While inhaling slightly to gain a bit of composure, Garu opened the window and intruded himself in, barely making any noise. Sounds came from downstairs, and he immediately recognized Charlie's voice along with a few others. As he eased himself, he sensed more than five other people along with Tobe and the hacker.

 _That's a lot less than I thought..._

Garu walked out of the room and looked down the stairs, spotting almost immediately Tobe with his gang, sitting around a table. Charlie was humming happily in the kitchen, making himself some coffee while the others ate in hunger at the lunch Tobe had bought them.

"So, what do you think, boss?" A frail-looking man asked Tobe, his face transforming into a frown. Tobe rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, completely spent.

"I'm still not sure yet, but I think if we do follow them... Things will work out better for us." He admitted. The other men looked at each other and stopped chewing on their food.

"But you just met the guy! What if he's working with that scumbag organization?!"

Garu nearly snorted.

"He's not." Tobe spoke, his voice powerful. "In fact, he's against that shitty organization! I can guarantee you that he'll help us get rid of these sorry-excuses of assassins!"

"B-But boss... Didn't he used to work there?"

Garu's eyebrow twitched at the revelation. Charlie had been working in the organization? _Since when? For how long?!_ He hadn't been filled in on that, but he now understood why they insisted in murdering him. If he truly was an ex-member of the organization, then it meant that he had some information about them. The fact that he was hacker didn't help things at all.

"Whatcha' all talking about?" Charlie spoke energetically as he exited the kitchen, a warm hot cup of coffee at hand. Tobe's men got suddenly extremely quiet while the pony-tailed ninja merely shrugged.

"Nothing much, sit down." He said while gesturing towards a nearby chair. Charlie happily obliged and made himself comfortable. But the stretched silence didn't do him good.

"Uhm... Is someone gonna' talk or...?" He looked around, hoping for a friendly face, but found none. Tobe sighed and waved it off, as if they mattered barely.

"Don't mind them; they just aren't used to seeing new faces... So? Should we get straight to the point?" He spoke while rubbing both of his hands. Charlie took of sip of coffee and nodded before pulling out the USB he had hidden. This caught the attention of everyone around the table, especially Tobe.

"See, this is the software that I've been working my ass on for a year." Charlie explained, smiling playfully, "It's a fully developed hack that can infiltrate itself into any kind of server. With this little gem of mine, getting access to the organization's database will be a piece of cake! Just a few minutes of playful keyboard play... And you can get all the info you want." He explained while playing around with the USB, as if very proud of his work. Tobe gulped and raised both his eyebrows in wonder.

"Can it even get info about... members?" He asked, almost quietly. Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, all the information you want, man. Before I left that organization to join _Barriagny_ I had a few little tricks up my sleeve. Y'see, they all made me install programs to protect their database, because lots of guys were after them. I had access to all the files, all the info I wanted, but of course, I wasn't allowed to leak them. When you join the organization..." He unbuttoned his shirt and revealed a tattoo on his left shoulder, "You have to agree on an oath of some sort... Then they pretty much mark you like their dog to make sure you won't go around and be a bitch."

Tobe gulped and asked, "Do they do this to all of their members?"

Charlie shook his head, "No, not really. Just those who get deeply involved. We're not plenty, I was just one amongst a dozen. The tattoos are different too, depending on the rank. Because I was charged with the organization's secret files, they made me go through the oath thingy. That's why I'm stuck with this shitty tattoo for the rest of my life." He muttered as he continued sipping on his coffee. Then, he looked up at the ceiling and smirked, "I'm _so_ happy that I left, honestly. Everyone was a jerk there, and their purpose of life kinda' peeved me, y'know? They all kept saying that _Barriagny_ is awful and should be destroyed. But their ideology is far greater than them." He laughed and ran a hand through his hair, "Gosh, I'd totally pay billions to see the look on their faces when we'll leak all their info! Priceless, I bet!"

Garu remained quiet, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Now he _definitely_ understood why he had been ordered to kill him. Not only had he left the organization to join the other; _Barriagny,_ but also, he threatened to hack into their sever. That was a serious, serious crime which was worth the execution for. And yet he still didn't understand why it involved Tobe.

"Whatcha' thinkin?" Charlie nudged Tobe on the arm, who had been in deep thought for a while. Said man scratched his chin and looked at his comrades with worried eyes. Was it worth it? Will they even listen? He didn't know, he just hoped they would.

But oh well, better go for it!

"Say... Charlie... This 'Barriagny' Organization, just how is it? What's its ideology?"

Charlie looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "If you wanna' get mindblown, I recommend you join and see for yourself."

Tobe bit his lip and glared at the ground, "I just... I only want to crush their organization, and particularly _that_ assassin. If possible, I just hoped to cooperate with you to get rid of him and everyone else!"

"Eh, well I understand. But it'd be better if you and your small gang could join us! I mean, we're not low on people, but anyone who wants to come, can come! We'll all give you everything you need, even a living space that's far better than this... Uhm..." he didn't want to sound rude, for it appeared that Tobe and his men liked their small hiding place... So he carefully formed his words, "... humble home..."

Tobe knew what he had intended to say, but didn't dwell on it any further. He simply got on with it and asked for further information. "So, when are we going to hack into their server?"

"Tomorrow, at five. We'll go to a coffee shop, I'll bring my secondary laptop and we'll hack it there. It'd be bad if they figured out my IP address and tracked me down... So it's best to be as sneaky as possible. Here's the coffee shop's location..." he wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it over to Tobe, who scanned it carefully. A smirk formed the scarred man's features as he extended his hand, Charlie smiled and shook it.

"That sounds great, we'll be there!" He spoke almost triumphantly. _When we'll get all the members' information as well as their plans... Then they'll be over... All over... Especially you, Garu!_

The men all sent worried stares towards their boss as he started laughing maniacally by himself. Charlie ignored it and continued sipping his coffee without a care in the world.

They remained as so for a good hour without saying anything of importance. Garu took the opportunity to write another report informing the organization of Charlie's plans. He also added that he'll definitely murder him tonight, no matter where he was. For his sneaky hacker persona had to be stopped.

After another half an hour, Charlie thought it best to leave. Tobe sent out a few of his men to escort him out, in fear if someone tracked him down. They respectfully wished each other good night before the hacker left, along with three shinobi of Tobe's.

Garu had long left the building and started following them in the shadows. He slowly took out his katana which had been hidden on his back, within his jacket, and continued stalking them. He had better be quick, for if they reached a crowded area, then he wouldn't do much.

Charlie and the rest walked towards a calm, friendly-looking neighbourhood that appeared to be peacefully quiet. It was already night, so he figured that every resident was either eating their dinner at home, or simply sleeping. Garu never really liked to kill in those kinds of neighbourhoods, for they were generally occupied by kind families who never did any harm. Sullying such an environment wasn't welcomed in his dictionary, but he sadly didn't have a choice.

Suddenly, the young assassin quickened his pace, his hand clutching on the katana. He readied his position so he could neatly stab Charlie in the heart and get it over with-

But it didn't go as planned.

One of the men had been fast enough to notice Garu and immediately pushed Charlie down, protectively. Garu tsked as he turned around and steadied himself, readying another clean strike. The men got into battle position immediately, all realizing who their attacker was.

"H-Hey, that's Garu!" one of them muttered, his eyes widening. The others gulped and nodded, glaring at the amber-eyed assassin's direction.

"Yeah, it's him... But don't feel afraid! We outnumber him, so obviously, he stands no chance!"

 _Oh, that's a nice way of reassuring a crowd..._ Garu rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance. It was the first time that someone caught him on the act, perhaps he had been more troubled than he had intended to.

Charlie looked at Garu with frightened eyes, "No way, they sent YOU?!" He nearly screamed and Garu wanted to impale him on the spot.

"D-Don't worry! We'll get you out of this mess!" The shinobi who had protected him spoke reassuringly, taking out a knife from his pocket and some shuriken. Garu licked his lips, his eyes shining a bright, fearful anger. He had waited too long for a moment to finally unleash his true potential. He forgot about the neighbourhood, he didn't care anymore if by the next morning, someone would find a stack of corpses near their door.

No, he didn't care anymore.

All he wanted was to cut them open and have their blood paint the ground.

In a flash of light, Garu dashed towards the shinobi and sliced a man in two, surprising his comrades and Charlie. Blood gushed out of his torso as he let out a silent scream before collapsing on the ground, dead and motionless. The red stains had gotten all over Garu's body, but his dark outfit concealed the crimson color rather well, for only a few spots of the warm liquid were seen on his pale complexion.

"Who's next...?" He spoke almost tiredly, his gaze boring into the other men. A brave shinobi let out a war cry as he ran towards the assassin, throwing shuriken at him like a lunatic. Garu avoided them with ease and grabbed the attacker by the collar, his hands tightening around his neck. He then proceeded to slam his body on a nearby wall and to stab his hear area, efficiently killing him.

Charlie had been speechless, frightened, and completely paralyzed at the gore fest that was happening in front of him. Of course, he had been aware that leaving the secret organization, breaking the oath, and joining Barriagny would led them in sending an assassin off to kill him... But he had never thought, not even in his wildest dreams, that they would've sent their very own weapon off to kill him.

Even he knew, that Garu was their best assassin, their number one killer.

And it made him believe that it was over.

However, just as he was about to lose hope and accept death, did he hear a small, barely audible and feminine gasp not so far away from there. He turned and spotted a tall, young lady with black hair covering her mouth with both hands. She looked fragile and quite feisty, which made him smirk and have an idea.

As Garu finished killing off the last of Tobe's men, he heard Charlie call out for him.

What he had seen had been unexpected.

"Oi! Garuuu!" The hacker called, with a woman trapped within his arms. He had a knife pointing provocatively at her neck, threatening to slice it open. "Calm down, buddy! Wouldn't want me to kill of this cute little thing, eh?"

Garu halted on his tracks, his eyes glaring into Charlie's. Damn it, he had known! He had figured him out! Everyone in the organization knew that Garu wasn't one to kill innocent people, and that shit-faced hacker used it to his advantage!

The worst part... Was the girl, he realized almost immediately who she was, and he hated himself for it.

Because damn it! It was the waitress!

 _Pucca,_ he remembered. _Why the heck did it have to be her?!_

Charlie looked down at the girl he had caught, he looked at her for a moment and only realized that it was the waitress. He whispered as he tightened his hold on her, she gasped, "Aw, don't blame me, sweet pea! It's nothing personal, just help me out, mkay? I don't want to die, is all!"

Garu hissed, "Don't you harm her, you little shit."

"Oh my, cursing in front of a girl, you're a real gentleman..." He spoke sarcastically as he backed away, dragging Pucca along. Garu had been awfully concerned, for she looked too calm to be an actual hostage.

Perhaps was she paralyzed with fear?

Garu tried to approach Charlie, but said man pushed the knife further, efficiently bruising a bit of her neck, which was half-hidden by her rather large scarf. "Not so fast, ninja! You move, she dies!"

"You think I care?" Garu lied, trying to feel composed. If he was quick... Then he could kill Charlie before he'd even realize it, and save Pucca along the way.

"Stop lying! I know you care about normal people, you don't like to see them die! I've known that fact about you for a long, long time." He grinned, Garu's glare intensified. "I also know that you're the organization's little _whore,_ you do everything they tell you to, am I right? Killing everyday obediently, running around stalking people and gathering information... You're their most faithful little bitch, arent'cha?"

The words haven't affected him, but what bothered him was the fact that Pucca was listening on to everything. Which was bad. Nobody should know of the organization, or his job. Charlie speaking all of that out loud made things worse.

"Heh, let's have a deal... You let me go, nice and easy, and I let the girl live. Whaddya' say?"

"Hm, sounds nice... But you seem to forget that _if_ you kill her, I'll kill you afterwards, eh?"

Pucca's eyes widened, and Garu immediately threw her a look that meant, 'don't worry, I won't let that happen'. She calmed herself down and relaxed a bit. Charlie gulped and pushed the knife further, trying to threaten Garu. However, the large scarf on Pucca's neck made it annoying, so in a fit of anger and frustration, Charlie took off her scarf-

And Garu's eyes widened.

Right there, on her pale, white neck, was a gash, an horizontal cut that explained her inability to speak properly. He now knew why she had worn a long collar in the heat, why she wore such a large scarf. It was for the sake of concealing her scar.

Charlie had taken such a long, quiet while to scrutinize the scar that Pucca took it as an opportunity to finally take action. In an instant, the tall woman hit the hacker hard with her elbow, making him cry in pain and fall on his knees. Garu readied himself out to protect her when Charlie cursed and attempted to stab her.

But Pucca, with a surprisingly quick motion, managed to avoid the blow. In the instant that followed, Garu thought himself completely mesmerized by the grace of her movements. For in a single, swift kick, the waitress managed to hit Charlie hard enough for him to faint on the ground, like a worthless doll.

Her legs, still covered by dark leggings, had captivated him. She breathed, almost too harshly, as she attempted to compose herself.

Then, their eyes met. Chocolate brown and Amber.

It was a silent stare between the two, in an outward appearance. But it spoke out more than it should've, for Pucca understood and knew, that her knowing of Garu's profession would make her life take a turn for the unexpected.

 **TBC.**

 **Please review, I had lots of fun with this chapter! I'll try to update Leggings frequently when I can!**


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